Quantum technology drew a wide audience

Although only about ten alumni from industry attended, this was not entirely unexpected given that quantum technology lies far from many alumni’s day-to-day work and can be difficult to prioritise during office hours. But for those who could come, the day seems to have been very worthwhile. The evaluation gave the event an average score of 4.6 out of 5.

A broad look at quantum technology — from history to industry

The programme offered a wide range of perspectives. Michele Del Zotto and Douglas Lundholm from the Department of Mathematics opened the afternoon with 100 years of quantum mechanics: mathematical perspectives. Their talks spanned everything from symmetries and topology to exclusion principles and quantum correlations.

Douglas highlights the value of combining academic and industrial perspectives::

“It is fantastic to be able to mix such a wide range of perspectives, mathematical topics, and industry and society interests, and demonstrate that this is not just some exotic part of foundational science but an actual emerging industry… That there are so many advanced fields of mathematics involved should encourage students to reach deeper in their mathematics education."

Laia Ginés from RISE gave an industry-focused overview of current trends, while Erik Sjöqvist from the Department of Physics and Astronomy showed how geometry becomes a tool for quantum computation. Adrian Petr from QPurpose concluded the speaker programme with insights from the interface between mathematics, research and the quantum tech industry.

Student perspective: “A fantastic overview — and reassurance about the future”

Filippa Getzner, MSc student in Quantum Technology, appreciated both the breadth and accessibility of the programme:

“The talks were directed towards a broad audience, which meant we could easily follow them even when the topic wasn’t exactly in our own field. As students, it gave us a good idea of what work can look like after studying something related to quantum technology.”

She also highlighted the value of meeting more experienced researchers and alumni:

“It was an enriching experience to talk to people who are further along in their careers. The day gave me some reassurance that a career in research is the right path.”

Filippa particularly enjoyed the talks on quantum computation from geometry and on uncertainty, exclusion and contextuality, but emphasised that the strength of the day lay in the overall mix:

“Quantum technology is a beautiful and broad field that can be approached from mathematics, physics and computer science. The event gave us a great overview of what is happening in both industry and research.”

Alumni voices:

“Worth the trip from Gotland”

For alumnus Anders Randler, Lecturer in mathematics and AI, the motivation to attend was clear:

“It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with old colleagues at the department. It’s well worth the travel… I will definitely attend next year again.”

He also sees strong links to his current field:

“Quantum computing is evolving, and the highly parallel nature of the process makes the connection to AI really interesting.”

“Fantastic to experience the atmosphere”

One of this year’s returning participants was Ola Henriksson, who studied mathematics and physics in Uppsala between 1980 and 1985. After working as a teacher, he spent 25 years as IT Manager at a global auditing firm before retiring in 2021.

"It’s simply fantastic to experience the atmosphere again and to run into an old classmate or two after so many years! This year’s theme was quantum physics, and even though my knowledge isn’t fully up to date, it was genuinely interesting — enough that I immediately bought a book on quantum physics and the mathematical methods used in the field!”

The value of meeting across disciplines — and across generations

The social part of the day was also appreciated. Several participants joined for a pub dinner afterwards — something many highlighted as a valuable complement to the lectures.

Douglas Lundholm:

“The informal social part is just as important as the formal part… we had some really interesting conversations concerning academia and society.”

Anders Randler:

“This year’s pub part was really great — interesting discussions about all kinds of things, and I got to know quite a few new great people.”

A magical ending by the student association Möbius

The student association Möbius closed the programme with a presentation of their work — followed by a surprise card magic performance that brought laughter and applause, and ended the day on a playful note.

Looking ahead

Despite the modest number of external alumni this year, the event clearly succeeded in offering inspiration, new contacts and fresh perspectives — for students, alumni and researchers alike. Many participants expressed the wish that alumni events of this kind should continue. The Department of Mathematics plans to host next year’s edition in autumn 2026.